Welcome!
I'm happy to say that my first review here on GetLiterary is from a wonderful author who I've found on Twitter by the name of Ike Pius! Just a heads up that I've worked as an editor before, and as a lover of reading myself, I promise that I will include no spoilers. ;) After all, I wouldn't want to take away your incentive to read Ike's work for yourself.
Introduction- Given by the Author
300 passengers. One plane. One bomb. One switch.
Although the bomb aboard the Flight 253 was very real, almost everything else about this book is fictional.
The author wishes to state emphatically that this book is not an attack on Islam. Though concerns may arise about sections of this book, it is hoped that the reader will understand that this book is for entertainment only.
It is also hoped that readers will find it healthy, balanced, and to some extent, witty.
The fundamental arguments aside, this book is fun. It gives a relaxed viewpoint from which to look at all the madness in the world.
The book is broken down into episodes instead of chapters. This is because it was initially intended to be a short magazine or radio feature.
The author has decided to retain this format.
The Good Stuff
1.) The imagery employed is excellent. Ike does a great job of painting a picture in the reader's head without doing what I call an "info dump."
2.) The style of writing reminded me a bit of Hemingway's. It's uncomplicated and matter-of-fact, which is something that can be really tricky to do well.
3.) The pace can be a little slow at times, but when it hits its stride, Bomber Boy is a page turner!
The Stuff I Didn't Love As Much
1.) Certain people who read this could take it the wrong way. Ike clearly stated in his Intro that he wants to, "state emphatically that this book is not an attack on Islam," but we all know how it can be really easy for some people to take things the wrong way. There are also a few moments where the characters make generalizations that could be offensive if taken out of context. The topic in and of itself is a tough one.
2.) This one could be taken as a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the reader's specific tastes, but I'm not exactly a huge fan of the episodic format. There's nothing wrong with the way it was done, if that's your thing, but it's not generally my cup of tea.
3.) There are some references to pop culture that not every reader may understand, such as Chris Rock or James Bond. This could also run into some issues with copyright, depending on how grumpy people are being.
Overall Thoughts
If you like to read things that have some underlying commentary on humanity to them, Bomber Boy is for you. Ike does a great job of crafting a main character that is both intriguing and profoundly human, and the motivation is clear. It's a quick read, though the pacing could use a little bit of tweaking. All in all, I enjoyed the piece and think there's a lot of room to expand it into a full-on series of novels. Great work, Ike!